BORGO EGNAZIA, Italy: Tensions heightened between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron during the G7 summit in Italy due to a disagreement about abortion, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported, citing Italian media.
According to the report, Macron was quoted as saying that abortion was not included in the final draft of the communique due to a demand from Italy.
In response, Meloni accused Macron of conducting an election campaign and insisted that there was no point in disagreeing with what had already been agreed.
"It is not right to turn the G7 into a platform for an election campaign," she said.
However, Italian media reported on Thursday that the tension between Meloni and Macron eased during a dinner.
On the first day of the summit, Thursday, it was noted that there was a disagreement among G7 countries on abortion, with statements to be included in the declaration on issues regarding Ukraine or the Gaza Strip, rather than abortion.
The media claimed that France and Canada were particularly pushing for a reference to guaranteeing the right to abortion access, while Italy was opposed to discussing the issue.
It was also argued that the reference was specifically requested by France and Canada, but sources from Italy pointed out that negotiations on the issue are continuing. – BERNAMA